Elder Assistant (PRN)

About the role

Catholic Charities of Baltimore, Caritas House, is currently seeking an Elder Assistant, who will provide essential support to residents who need around-the-clock care due to physical or social impairments. The role involves assisting with daily living activities and medication management, all while encouraging and upholding the residents’ independence and personal choice at every opportunity. Catholic Charities of Baltimore Caritas House is a community for seniors that provides additional services that help our residents remain independent and safe. Our Elder Assistants help our residents with their activities of daily living including dressing, personal hygiene, housekeeping, and laundry services. The Care Assistant assists residents who are physically and/or socially impaired and need 24-hour oversight, with activities of daily living, always fostering residents’ independence and freedom of choice.

Responsibilities

• Assists with daily life activities, including dressing, bathing, and personal hygiene, care for essential devices, and support with tasks like phone use, housekeeping, laundry, and managing mail
• Ensures clear and accurate documentation on the Medication Administration Record (MAR) for every medication administered, refused, held, discontinued, changed, disposed of, or returned, following residence policy.
• Performs count of controlled substances with appropriate CMTs at the beginning and end of shift.
• Seeks guidance from a supervisor or Nurse Manager immediately if there are any doubts or questions about administering medications or treatments before proceeding with the task.
• Monitors for environmental safety hazards, disposing of infectious and potentially infectious waste according to residence policy and procedure, and OSHA regulations.
• Controls the spread of infection by following standard precautions.
• Accurately documents all incidents, errors, and accidents involving residents, staff, or visitors in accordance with agency protocols and regulatory requirements; ensures timely reporting to supervisors and participates in follow-up as needed.
• Assists with a variety of dining and housekeeping tasks, including picking up plates, supporting residents during meals, responding to immediate clean-up needs while providing care, and taking appropriate action when identifying housekeeping needs within the facility to ensure a clean, safe, and comfortable environment for residents.
• Maintains cooperative working relationships with staff and other departments.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
• Lead Elder Assistant (405100): Serves as a point of coordination and leadership for other Elder Assistants, helps to oversee daily workflow, and ensures smooth communication between staff, residents, and families. The Lead helps to maintain a welcoming and organized environment.
• Trains new hires and delivers in-service sessions for staff as directed by the Director or Assistant Assisted Living Manager, ensuring staff competency and compliance with facility standards.
• Provides guidance, mentorship, and formal supervision to other Elder Assistants to ensure smooth daily operations.
• Assists with staffing adjustments as needed during the shift, including reassigning tasks based on resident needs and team availability.
• Rounds the building regularly to